When choosing a puppy, some owners are afraid of excessive aggressiveness, which can cause many problems. But sometimes a radically opposite problem arises. The dog not only does not show aggression, but is also terrified of strangers and experiences severe fear in unfamiliar areas. For the most part, these are the consequences of improper socialization, which takes place during the first three months. The puppy must be introduced to strangers and the space for movement must not be limited. But if your pet already has a fear of people or unfamiliar areas, these problems need to be dealt with.
Causes of fear
In all dogs, the process of socialization must begin at an early age, when your dog is still a small puppy, this requires training to interact with other pets and people outside the home. Even those dogs that have had various contacts can show fear of members of their own species. The main reasons for this are :
- Injury,
- premature weaning,
- insufficient socialization,
- overindulgence.
Why is a pet afraid of its own kind?
Most dog owners are not very familiar with dog psychology. Not only do they not know how to help their pet overcome their own fear, but they also unwittingly aggravate the condition of their four-legged friend by encouraging such behavior.
To solve the problem, experts recommend finding out what triggered the development of the phobia.
Insufficient socialization
This is the most common drawback, the culprit of which is the owner himself. Experienced dog handlers and breeders confirm that if a puppy, until the age of 5-6 months, did not go for walks outside of his yard or apartment, did not visit public places and did not meet other people and animals, then in most cases he develops some kind of phobia.
But in this case, it is not necessary that the condition will manifest itself precisely in the form of fear of other dogs. A pet may be afraid of cars, people, animals, or foreign sounds. The risk of escape in unsocialized pets is much higher. Sooner or later, such a dog ends up on the street and is unable to return home on his own. It is worth protecting your timid pet and taking him for walks only on a leash. If you do not adhere to this rule, you may lose your dog forever.
Low levels of socialization can also be caused by the puppy being taken away from the bitch too early. It is advisable that the offspring stay with their mother for up to 2-3 months. During this period, babies manage to gain their first knowledge about the world around them, they learn to interact with their mother and brothers, and she also gives important educational lessons. In addition, looking at the behavior of the bitch, puppies begin to understand what a person means to a dog, what place he occupies in her life.
Artificial puppies are deprived of this school; they learn their first skills from people. And the person feeding the baby should not miss the moment; it is important to develop the pet’s personality and support it:
- the puppy must learn to play, both to win and to lose;
- he needs to be able to compete for food.
Experienced mental trauma
The second most common cause of phobias in animals. A similar phenomenon is often encountered by owners who take an adult pet from a zoo shelter or from the street. As soon as the dog finds itself in a new home, it goes through an adaptation period, and how long it will take to recover is unknown. During adaptation, the dog can be scared of everything, even the owner.
Hereditary tendency
A rather rare reason that affects a pet’s fear of dogs. By nature, dogs are sociable, and if they are afraid of someone, they will try to avoid contact. When a dog comes face to face with a frightening object, it can take a defensive position, and if the opponent wins in size and power, then it can run away.
Genetic predisposition can be assumed, but it is not guaranteed. Typically, signs of cowardice appear in puppies by the age of 4-8 weeks. Such babies avoid playing with brothers and sisters, are frightened by noise, and grow somewhat slower than others, since they do not compete for food.
Fright experienced as a puppy
It is impossible to predict whether the fear experienced by the puppy will come back to haunt you in the future. The cause of severe stress is often a visit to the veterinary clinic, careless handling, inappropriate behavior of the bitch, etc.
Premature weaning
After birth, the period when puppies remain with their mother is critical to their continued development as healthy adults. Besides the nutrients provided by breast milk, the relationship with its mother and brothers is the first socialization process that every puppy goes through .
The puppy can be weaned after the eighth week of life, although ideally this takes three months. Otherwise, there is a risk of behavioral disorders such as uncertainty, fear and aggressiveness.
What to do if the problem is not solved?
Even though you have a coward, try not to compare your pet with more prosperous ones. Treat him condescendingly, lovingly. Let him feel that he is still the most beloved for you.
Socialize him gradually. Take a walk in the park, where people and owners with pets occasionally pass by. Teach him fun games: fetch a stick, a rubber ball, a ring and other objects. Let him feel brave and dexterous.
There are very purposeful owners who hire an instructor and work with the dog on their own, learning commands. If time passes and he is still a coward, there is nothing you can do, such a character. You are his only friend, so play together so that he lives next to you as a happy dog. There is no need to constantly train him. It won't help.
Try to avoid irritants in your daily life that cause stress in your pet. For example, he is afraid of the noise of a working vacuum cleaner; when you are cleaning, lock it in the back room. Not all dogs are so timid that this cannot be corrected by training with a dog handler, self-training and gradual socialization. Yes, sometimes it takes a year or more, but there are positive results.
You are human and it is in your power to be happy in your life together with your pet, forgiving its shortcomings.
A dog is always a responsibility.
Usually, the owners relax where they can take their pet with them. For example, at a camp site in their city in a forested area near a lake, and some go wild on weekends to fish and sunbathe on the beach. Don't forget a big umbrella. It will create shade for your pet and protect it from heat stroke.
Signs of fear in dogs
Understanding your dog's body language will help you train a healthy four-legged dog when he is relaxed, nervous or intimidated. Look for the following signs that indicate fear :
- the dog is watching another dog, but slightly bows its head,
- squeezes the tail and hides it between the hind legs,
- pulls back the body, drawing an arc with the spine,
- it appears as if your dog is paralyzed,
- puts ears to head
- growls or tries to run away,
- involuntary urination.
Proper owner behavior
As already mentioned, ignorance of the owner can provoke the development of cowardice in the pet. What mistakes should you avoid so that your puppy does not grow up fearful? First of all, when a dog gets scared, you cannot calm him down and feel sorry for him. Of course, this is a completely normal human reaction to such a situation.
The dog views it as an encouragement for cowardly behavior. A panic attack has occurred, which means it will be followed by affection and treats. The pet understands one thing - its fear is a normal state, and the owner is pleased with this behavior.
Over time, this habit takes root, and it can be extremely difficult to rid your dog of it. To wean him from being afraid, the owner should change his attitude towards such situations. It is important to understand that by pitying and protecting the dog, it is doing a disservice. Of course, we are not talking about threats of physical injury to the animal.
A frightened dog should be distracted, and to do this, any dog breeder has several methods in his arsenal:
- you can give your pet a few simple commands that will not cause him any difficulties;
- offer to play or give him his favorite toy.
The owner should behave calmly, as if nothing had happened, and try to switch the animal’s attention from the object that causes fear to something more pleasant. In addition, dogs can adopt the habits of other four-legged animals. For example, if his playmate is afraid of vehicles, he may also become afraid of them.
How to deal with fear
When your dog is causing anxiety, you should take the necessary decisions to ensure that your friend does not suffer from anxiety, only then will he be a healthy and happy companion.
If you have asked yourself “what should I do if my dog is afraid of other dogs?” then apply these recommendations :
- Walk your dog - You may already be doing this, but you'll be avoiding areas where other dogs play. To start socializing, start walking near neighborhoods or parks, but away from dogs. Repeat the operation daily, observing your dog's reactions in front of other dogs. As the sessions progress, you will be able to get closer to the dogs so that your friend feels safe.
- Practice Agility – Agility clubs are overflowing with dogs, making it a great environment to meet pets of all sizes and breeds. Don't force him to socialize, let him get close to dogs that inspire confidence until he feels safe around others.
- Counterconditioning – Instead of petting and calming your dog when he shows signs of fear of other animals, distract him and play with him. This way he will correlate the activities he enjoys with the presence of other dogs.
- Use positive reinforcement - when your four-legged friend takes a step towards another dog, pamper him for it with gentle words or treats. This will reinforce the idea that spending time with friends means something good.
Getting your dog to socialize with other dogs is a process that takes time, consistency, and patience. He will be very unsure for the first few days, don't be discouraged if he refuses to come over and never force him to do so.
If you don't have experience helping you overcome your fear, it is recommended that you seek help from a professional dog trainer.
general information
Just some two decades ago, dog cowardice was considered an unforgivable, serious vice. The exception was dogs of some decorative breeds, but not all. Unfortunately, the situation is aggravated by the fact that dog breeding today has been elevated to a business.
Many breeders, in pursuit of profit, turn a blind eye to some of the shortcomings of the individuals involved in breeding. As a result, people spend substantial amounts of money on purchasing a purebred service dog, and after just a couple of months they notice that their pet has mental problems.
Don’t forget about one nuance - some disorders only appear when the pet grows up. In this case, training turns out to be problematic, and during work the owner is faced with the fact that the dog cannot control himself, is easily excited, enters into conflicts with other dogs, or is terrified of them.
Experts identify two reasons for dogs’ fear of their own kind. Either the dog is not properly socialized and simply does not know how to behave around other dogs, or he is not confident in his own abilities and feels that in the event of a fight he will not be able to protect himself.
In such a case, the dog is unsociable, has a tendency to run away, and is irritable after walking. During an intense attack of phobia, he begins to fall to the ground and lie motionless, defecating uncontrollably when another dog approaches him.
Fear of the street is another problem that is further reinforced if the pet is afraid of other animals. The cause of fear is insufficient socialization, that is, the four-legged animal was not taught how to behave in the outside world, to react correctly to people, vehicles, and other animals. He is afraid of everything that he does not understand, walks become torture for both the dog and the owner. Usually the dog, as soon as it does its business, runs away to the house or pulls the owner there.
Dogs with such an unstable psyche are not confident in themselves; they can evaluate any sound or action of passers-by incorrectly. Therefore, in some cases, dogs become dangerous to others, since it is almost impossible to predict their reaction.
How to deal with a dog's tantrum on the street
If your pet is not yet used to walking, he may stop in the middle of the road, whine and resist. What should the owner do? It is generally not advisable to encourage cowardly behavior. In this case, this is acceptable. You must learn to balance: not to turn your pet into a hysterical person, but also not to leave him completely without support. You can calm it like a dog: gently squeeze the puppy between your legs to let him know that he is under protection. Babies can hide behind their mother like this. They feel warmth and reliable protection.
Sometimes it's wise to give it a break. Stop for two minutes and let your client get used to the new environment. Continue on your way and observe. If the attacks are repeated too often, it's time to stop. There is no need to walk until you are exhausted. It is acceptable to carry your pet home in your arms if you accidentally crossed the line.
Control is necessary
The owner’s task is to keep the situation under control during walks. And it doesn’t matter whether the dog has grown up or is a very small puppy. There may always be a pack of stray dogs or an aggressive neighbor nearby, and meeting with them sometimes ends in a fight and injuries.
The stronger should not be allowed to offend the weaker. Not all pets are noble and allow you to occasionally bite the ear of a weaker one or quietly click their teeth to intimidate. Such situations need to be noticed and stopped.
If during walks the dog begins to be offended, it is better to change the route so that your beloved dog does not turn into a depressed, unhappy creature who is accustomed to obeying and hiding cowardly.
But this can also happen. A growing dog, who was afraid of older and stronger ones, at the next meeting may unexpectedly feel his strength and take it out on the offender. And, having won the fight, show aggression in the future towards others, or simply get rid of your complexes forever.
how to stop a puppy from biting and grabbing legs
Root cause
However, if the above situations did not find a place in your life, and the dog still experiences such phobias, it is worth thinking about the root causes. If a dog is afraid of a person, and not only of strangers, but also of its own owner, it means that it has a very susceptible and, at the same time, traumatized psyche. All fears that arise in an animal when it sees a person are divided into two categories.
- These are the ones that have a reason.
- And the reason for which, unfortunately, is impossible to see.
Let's look at the first category. If fear has its basis, it means that the animal received negative emotions, was in a dangerous situation or experienced pain. Most often, fear is a consequence of life experiences. Thus, dogs that once happened to be caught by dog handlers, experienced rough treatment and bullying, are rarely inclined to communicate with humans. Those people who have a similar structure to the torturers will remind the animal of what they have experienced.
The cause of fear of people may be a traumatized psyche
Fears that have no reason are often recorded by veterinarians. For example, an animal becomes afraid when a baby cries. Or he begins to be afraid of any family member for no reason, while the person has never done anything bad to the animal. If you can determine the cause of the phobia, it will be much easier for you to fight it.
The dog needs to be helped to overcome uncertainty, but in no case should it be supported. Sometimes animals are insecure due to the fact that they are weak in front of their relatives. This feeling of weakness carries over into the home, where the animal feels vulnerable in the presence of people.
General information
Even 20-30 years ago, the cowardice of dogs was talked about quite clearly - this is an unforgivable vice. Exceptions were made for lap dogs, and even then, not always. Modern business, built by people on the thoughtless breeding of service breeds, gives only the first fruits. More and more owners are spending a lot of money on purchasing purebred dogs, and after a few months, it is discovered that the puppy has mental problems.
The difficulty is that problems can be detected even when the dog is an adult . Difficulties arise during training or working in real conditions; four-legged animals grow up excitable, have poor self-control under stress, fight with relatives (including those of the opposite sex), can pose a danger to people, etc.
The owner needs to understand that fear of other dogs can have two root causes. True fear of dogs - that is, your pet does not know how to communicate with its relatives , or is not confident that it can stand up for itself. In this case, the pet is withdrawn, prone to escape, and remains nervous after a walk. In a severe attack of phobia, the animal falls to the ground, does not move, and defecates uncontrollably when another dog tries to approach.
A dog is afraid of the street - this is a completely different problem, which only reinforces the fear of other dogs. The reason is the low level of socialization, that is, the four-legged animal cannot comfortably coexist with the outside world. He is frightened by cars, animals, people, sounds, weather changes, etc. Pets suffering from such a phobia cannot be fully walked and trained. As soon as the dog goes to the toilet, it pulls the leash towards the house. Any irritants only intensify the panic attack. A dog with such a phobia is a “ticking bomb” that will become a danger to strangers and especially children.
